From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, has given reasons he did not respond to a recent statement credited to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Benjamin Kalu, to the effect that Otti would be the last Labour Party governor to govern Abia, as the state would be taken over by All Progressives Congress (APC), come 2027.
Speaking in Umuahia during an interactive session with journalists, Otti said that he decided not to react to the statement made by Chief Kalu as it would have been foolhardy to talk about what will happen tomorrow.
“I chose to not to respond to it (the statement) because it’s foolhardy to talk about what will happen tomorrow. Power belongs to God and He gives it to who He wills,” the governor said.
Otti used the occasion to tell Abians that he has no plan to retrench workers in the state public service.
According to the governor, he has not thought about the alleged looming retrenchment.
“There is no any massive retrenchment in the pipeline. We will continue to ensure that the civil service is enhanced and productivity increased,” he promised.
He also re-emphasised his commitment to defraying arrears of salaries owed some institutions in the state, saying that “the debts were inherited and I will pay them. In a few days, those payments will happen.”
The governor explained that the Labour Party stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia recently was in a bid to restore peace in the party, adding that anyone that followed what happened would notice that people are happy over the outcome of the meeting.
“I believe that what we did was in the interest of the party. We have a vested interest in ensuring that the party will continue to operate as a political party in Nigeria,” he said.